


The Reading Room

by joss80



Series: Longmire Season 3 vignettes [1]
Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 16:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1751492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joss80/pseuds/joss80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vignette of Vic's thought process during the "Reading Room" scene in episode 3.01 The White Warrior. My little shipper heart wanted to read as much into this scene as I could :) This may turn into a series of season 3 vignettes. Let me know what you think!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reading Room

She is still reeling from hearing that the blood is Branch’s as Walt moves past her and into the retrofitted “Reading Room.”

“Walt! Walt!”

She and Ferg exchange a glance as she follows after the man, but Ferg knows enough to stay away and let her try to handle things.

He pulls his badge off and tosses it onto the sink counter as she enters the small room and shuts the door firmly behind her. It won't give them much privacy, but it will have to do. Then he begins divesting himself of his jacket and shirt as fast as he can, in an almost-frenzied, determined manner, and so she implores him again.

“Walt! Walt, stop!”

“Can’t.” His reply is firm, sounding remarkably controlled against the haste of his actions. He gets his shirt off and drops it to the floor, then reaches for a clean khaki shirt from the pile on the shelf. Two seconds later he tosses it aside unceremoniously as he turns to the sink and begins washing the blood from his hands, almost as an afterthought. He doesn’t seem to mind or care that she’s there, with him shirtless and all. 

Vic lets her eyes run over his back for a moment, and she takes in the long scars and the broad expanse of skin. This is the second time she’s seen him like this, and her mind suddenly strays to that night at his cabin when Lizzie had called them out on things. There had been a lot more water involved and only a towel around his waist. Then she gives her head a mental shake and re-focuses.

“Is Branch okay?” She crosses her arms, partly to have something to do with her hands and partly in self-preservation – it feels safer, a bit of a barrier between them because this is all a bit too personal suddenly in the very small room. And then she looks downward, just to have something other than her shirtless boss to look at.

“I hope so. They’re working on him now. He lost a lot of blood,” Walt replies as he finishes washing his hands. He grabs a white hand towel from next to her, and her eyes follow his movements briefly before she averts them again as he dries his hands.

“Who shot Branch?” This is necessary dialogue, safe dialogue. _Appropriate dialogue_. Unlike her wandering thoughts.

“Still trying to find out.” There is serious momentum as he throws the small towel down onto the sink, and then he grabs the clean khaki shirt again. She can see that he is looking at her as he pulls the shirt on over his arms and shoulders, but she keeps her eyes lowered… until he turns towards her, and suddenly her eyes are looking straight at the trail of hair at the bottom of his chest, and further down to his belt buckle, and it as far from safe as she can be.

Her eyes dart up, because that is the only place that they can go, and they meet his in a fleeting but intense gaze as he begins buttoning up his shirt. A few moments later he is the one to look down, and mere inches separate them as he finishes dressing himself in front of her. The air feels thick, and charged with two completely opposite kinds of tension. She watches his face for a second, then his fingers as they deftly do up the buttons, and it is only when he reaches for his Sheriff’s badge on the sink that she is able to pull herself from her reverie.

He motions slightly and she moves to the side, pulling the door open as she does so, and he walks through and grabs his hat and jacket from the coat rack. He finally turns around, regarding her and Ferg.

“I’m gonna need a ride.”


End file.
